Their talisman stepped up to the plate in the first half by firing Argentina in front and his team-mates replied in kind in the second when Marcos Rojo scored a dramatic 86th minute winner.

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And after Messi was snapped giving a half-time team talk, Ferdinand explained why such a gesture was vital for Argentina.

‘We saw the pictures before of Messi in the tunnel talking to the team,’ Ferdinand said on the BBC.

Messi was the one to give the Argentina their final instructions (Picture: Reuters)

His team-mates did not let him down (Picture: Getty)

‘When the great Lionel Messi is speaking to them team-mates, they have to listen, they have to come together.

‘Without that unity, you can’t achieve anything.’

While Messi was trying to inspire his team-mates, Argentina’s under-fire head coach Jorge Sampaoli sat in the dug-out.

Marcos Rojo scored the winner (Picture: EPA)

Sampaoli emerged from the dressing room long before his players, who instead gathered around Messi.

The Argentina coach has been under immense pressure after a dreadful opening to the tournament, but former Argentina international Pablo Zabaleta insisted it was now time for the side to come together as one unit.

‘He [Sampaoli] made a few mistakes in the last two games, he knows that,’ Zabaleta said.

There is clearly some tension between the players and head coach Jorge Sampaoli (Picture: AFP)

(Picture: Getty)

‘He took some responsibility for that. He was brave. Hopefully we saw another 90 minutes in the next game of that Argentina.

‘It’s time for unity. In those moments you need that, players, staff – everybody together.’

The dramatic victory means Argentina escape Group D by the skin of their teeth and will face France in the next round.